Fastening means for flooring and the like



n. CUNNINGHAM; FASTENING MEANS FOR FLOORING AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 26. 192b- Patented J 11116 7, 192-1.

UNITED, STATES ROBERT M. CUNNINGHAM, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

FASTENING MEANS FOR FLOORING AND THE LIKE.

\ Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 7,

Application filed March 26, 1920. Serial No. 369,003.

To all wlzom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoBnRT M. CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Fastening Means for Flooring and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to animproved fastening means for floor boards and the like. It has heretofore been proposed to tongue and groove the flooring boards along both sides and the ends thereof, in order to effect a locking engagement between the abutting ends of the boards and to thus prevent sagging or relative movement of the parts ad acent said ends. This, however, has only been successfully employed in conjunction with hard wood fiooring where the grain is close and the wood is of such texture and hardness as will enable the tongue and groove to be properly formed across the grain at the end of the board. It has not been found feasible to employ such construction with pine flooring or relatively soft wood or where the grain is coarse. The

, inability to thus support the adjacent ends of the boards by the tongue and groove connection necessitates bringing the abutting -ends of the boards together over a jolst in order that such ends may be properly sup- .joints over the joist.

ported and nailed to the joist.

It has also been proposed to employ yarious doweling devices to secure abutting pieces of wood together, such for instance as a strip having a series of pointed pron s projecting laterally therefrom at each si e, and also a double pointed dowel pin. The present invention has to do with means for securing the ends of the flooring boards, whether they be formed of hard wood or soft wood, of either close or cross grain, and to enable the boards to be used up in full length where, ordinarily, particularly in pine flooring, much of the stock goes to waste owing to the necessity of bringing the Said means consists essentially of a plate-like member having teeth formed upon each of two ofits oppositely disposed edges and a top stop tongue struck up out of the body.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is atop plan view of a portion of a flooring laid up in accordance with my method;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view partly broken away showing one of the fastening devices in position between the abutting ends of two pieces of the flooring;

Fig. 3 is a sectional perspective view of two pieces of flooring;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the fastenings.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tool employed to initially position the fastener in. the end of the boards, one of the fasteners being shown in position in the tool;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 7; r

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line VII-- VII of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view employed in the tool;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form of the fastener; and

Fig. 10 is a similar view of the tool einployed in conjunction with such modified form of fastener. v

' Referring to the drawings 1 and 2 denote the ordinary fioor joist and 3 the floor boards. Such boards are preferably formed with tongue and groove along their longitudinal exposed edges, as is customary, and the ends of each board will be cut ofi straight across so that they abut, as indicated in the drawings.

The fastener is formed of sheet metal stamped out andcomprises a body 4, preferably oblong in form, and having upon its longer sides or edges series of teeth 5,

which preferably take the form of saw teeth,

that is to say, one face thereof approximates a line which is nearly at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the fastener, but

the other edge is inclined. The fastener is also provided with two stop elements which take the form of tongues 6-6, struck up out of the body and approximately in line with the longitudinal axis thereof. Said fastener is adapted to be driven into the end of each of the floor boards as it is laid, and the next board to be positioned is then driven to place, the fastener passing into the board being thus driven so that the abutting ends of the boards and the fastener finally occupy the position shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

To effect the position of the fastener in the end of the board I preferabl employ a tool, such as shown in Figs. 5 to inclusive, comprising a bar or handle 7, having a head 8, said head being provided with a transof the anvil 4 verse cylindrical opening or bore 9 and a slot 10 extending into said cylindrical bore from one side thereof. Mounted within the bore 9 is an anvil 11 with that face which extends toward the slot serrated to conform to the teeth 5 of the fastening member 4. When it is desired to drive one of the fasteners into the end of a board the operator merely sli s one of the fasteners into 'the tool, as indicated in Fig. 5, places the exposed toothed edge of the fastener 4 against the end of the board and through blows appliedto the head 8 forces the fastener into the end of the o floor board which has been previously laid.

board in which it was initially positioned.

These stop elements consequently cause the fastener to be equally distributed or posi; tioned. within the abutting ends of the boards. The ends of the boards are thus securely interlocked and any sag ing movement of one with reference to t e other is precluded notwithstanding the fact that such ends do not overlie a joist. The format tion of the serrated edges in the shape of saw teeth enables the fastener to be readily driven, and what is more, such teeth upon the exposed edge of the fastener as the second board is driven to place, tendto crowd the board longitudinall and into close and intimate contact with t e board lying adjacent thereto along its side. In other words the teeth tend to wedge the board sidewise.-

Furthermore, as above noted, it is not essential that the joints be brought over a joist and hence the saving in flooring material is boards would not sag or yield with reference to each other, to have the abutting 'oints all formed or positioned over a joist.

he fastener may, of course, be employed in conjunction with boards which come to position over a joist as well as between the joist and the mere fact that the joint happens to coincide with the joist does not preclude the employment of the fastener.

It is conceivable that instead of having two stops or tongues or a plurality of stops or' tongues, as 6, a single tongue may be employed, as shown in Fig. 9, and further that the teeth need not take the form of saw teeth but may be equally inclined on each face, as shown in Fig. 9. Under such arrangement, however, it is essential that the tool be provided with a counterbore, as 12, to receive the centrally disposed stop member or tongue of the fastener. o

vWhat isclaimedis:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a fastener adapted to form a locking joint between abutting boards, comprising a platelike member having teeth formed u on each of two of its oppositely disposed e ges, and a stop tongue struck up out of the body at a point substantially midway between the toothed edges.

2. As a new article of manufacturefor securing the ends of abutting boards together, a plate-like member having teeth formed upon each of two of its opposite edges and j a pair of tongues struck upout of said platelike member ina line substantially equidistant fromthe toothed edges of the plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. a

' ROBERT M. CUNNINGHAM. 

